trompuss wrote:i played a show in Tyler, Texas with a bunch of hardcore bands once. they invited us there and were putting us up in one of their homes for the night. then they saw us drinking beer. we didn't know they were straight edge. they said we couldn't stay with them, and we didn't get paid. Had to drive back to Houston at 3 am. I ate a pack of effedrin and made it home somehow.

unbelievable cunts. can't fucking believe this kinda shit. If only I ate meat I'd put up this band and refuse to let them stay at my house unless they ate a big pile of corned beef sandwiches.

We played our first gig in Bristol a few weeks ago. 4 bands on a Friday night with no stage order planned.

However, a couple of days before the show we were asked to headline – in return for supplying the drum kit for everyone. Our drummer said yeah cause we’ve used other people’s kit’s in the past – it seems to be the accepted way around here – everyone uses the headliners kit – except for snare and cymbals. Me and my bass brother ALWAYS bring our own amps – as well as being the right thing to do – they’re part of our sound.

When we got there everyone was told by the promoter that there would be no soundcheck cause there were too many bands. That’s fine with us cause we trust the sound man to be able to sort something good out while we're playing – we just want some vocals on stage. Then the soundman asked us to do a quick soundcheck so he could get the drum kit right and check out his mics.

A few minutes after we’d done we noticed a guitarist putting his guitar away and muttering something to his bandmates – he seemed really moody and kind of pissed off. Then we hear him tell the sound man he’s refusing to play if he can’t soundcheck! Eventually, he got told he could if it really means that much to him, he shook his head and replied, “It’s broken for me now.” And left!! And his band didn’t play!! The bass player seemed really nice and seemed so embarrassed while packing up his stuff. What an ass that guitarist is. But a funny ass – he’s given us a great quote to play with for years to come!

Most bands have been good to play with – some have been great. The only times I’ve been pissed off were when some young kid asked to use my amp and then proceed to almost tug it to the ground at the end of the set – I was so so close to joining in their set until he settled down just in time. The other time was when we opened for a band called Headtest – they sat just outside the club door rather than watch our set. I think it’s good manners to check out the other bands – check out what other people are up to - I always have. Headtest have now changed their name to Elephant Escape Plan and I shall say no more on the subject.

At the aforementioned Bristol gig the guitarist in the middle band broke his string halfway through their set – after watching him starting to get flustered for 5 to 10 seconds I lent him my guitar. So ‘The Awakes’ are a really nice band to play with! As are Aluminum Babe who did the same favour for me – I now take a backup guitar to gigs cause string changing does not come easy to me – especially with people watching and waiting.

adamawakes wrote:A few minutes after we’d done we noticed a guitarist putting his guitar away and muttering something to his bandmates – he seemed really moody and kind of pissed off. Then we hear him tell the sound man he’s refusing to play if he can’t soundcheck! Eventually, he got told he could if it really means that much to him, he shook his head and replied, “It’s broken for me now.” And left!! And his band didn’t play!! The bass player seemed really nice and seemed so embarrassed while packing up his stuff. What an ass that guitarist is. But a funny ass – he’s given us a great quote to play with for years to come!

this is how evolution and survival of the fittest works in rock music. if captain waaaaaambulance can't roll with the punches, his band doesn't play. if his band doesn't play, we're all better off.

elisha wiesner wrote:the worst band we have ever played with is seeley. about 8 years ago at the middle east in cambridge ma. first they complain about the order of the bands and get it changed. then they complain about the free food. then, when the opening band's guitar amp blows up during sound check they demand all of their drink tickets for use of an amp. total fucking ass holes.

i would say that most other bands we have played with have been great.

as for the borrowing of gear, we share drum kits all the time but check with the other bands prior to the show. we've recently been playing some shows with the chris brokaw rock band (super great guys) i think they have used our kit twice and we have used thier kit twice. i am fine with lending my gear out but just email me about it first.

-e

Was this when Eric Taylor was playing drums for them?

adamawakes wrote:The other time was when we opened for a band called Headtest – they sat just outside the club door rather than watch our set. I think it’s good manners to check out the other bands – check out what other people are up to - I always have.

I have always liked this, theoretically.

But even if I really like the other bands, I almost never watch much of their sets if they are playing before I am.

For one, I have to get my shit together, and I cannot concentrate on someone else's music right then.

For two, the sound in front of the stage can be heavier/more impressive than the sound onstage, and I don't want to be left wanting up there.

I often don't watch bands playing after mine either.

Perhaps I am rude. I just end up in weird mindsets before/after playing, and it's often not conducive to watching someone else do something.

Someone asked about Godspeed You Blackened Catfish on the other thread. I think Dianogah would agree with me on the following:

No matter how grand their aspirations, the first band on a bill should probably not start 45min late. I mean 'for real' late, not after-the-doors-open late.

And a 90min set is too long.

Especially when they have to be asked to stop and their breakdown time is about half an hour.

Dianogah cut their set to 15min so Silkworm could go on only 1hr late.

I don't want to tell tales out of school, and it's feasible certain people wouldn't want to be involved in the tale-telling, so I won't go into the myriad other shitty things I know them to have done.

last year we were trying to woo a record label to put out our next record. they decided they would and all involved were very excited. the label guy, steve, asked us if we would be interested in playing a show in detroit the following weekend. This would be a sort of a one show, meet-and-see-you-live type event at some big detroit festival. this was a big, multi-club event and steve had been in charge of setting up the venue where we played.
we met steve and hung out a while. Some band from windsor called the full white drag were supposed to play in front of us. they were running late because their van broke down. from what I understand, windsor is not even 20 miles from the club. they showed up and told steve they needed to borrow some of out stuff. Ordinarily we would tell them no way, as EVERY time we lend something to someone, something bad happens. Our drumset is notoriously fragile(as the stnnng and anyone at our last empty bottle show can attest to) and they wanted to borrow it. we wanted to save face with steve who was the one sent to ask us, so we agreed.
our drummer, tom, told the dude about the hundreds of problems to watch out for and told him DO NOT FUCK WITH THE HI-HAT CLUTCH. This guy was fucking with it by the end of their first song. he also proceeded to play for AN HOUR. watching a band suck and break your equipment AND trying to act like nice guys (we are not) about it is just enough to drive you crazy.
we lent equipment to the band before us (who could have walked to the show 20 times in the time it took us to drive from ST LOUIS) and subsequently had to BORROW equipment to get through our set. meanwhile the Full White Drag was long gone. I think they were supposed to play another show that night. brilliant.
I cannot fault them for not sticking around. I will watch a band play for a while but after 3 or more bands I get impatient and if a band doesn't grab me within a few songs I will go someplace quieter. I cannot constitute losing my hearing for a band I don't like.

trompuss wrote:i played a show in Tyler, Texas with a bunch of hardcore bands once. they invited us there and were putting us up in one of their homes for the night. then they saw us drinking beer. we didn't know they were straight edge. they said we couldn't stay with them, and we didn't get paid. Had to drive back to Houston at 3 am. I ate a pack of effedrin and made it home somehow.

This is AWESOME. Through their hard-line anti-drug zero-tolerance stance, they actually forced you to take MORE drugs to get home.

XSTR8EDGEX!!!

choppy wrote:NoMeansNo were lovely with us, although they were a bit harsh with the sound guy (justifiably so).

You can not simply let this lie there like that. "Justifiably so" how?

Soundguy solidarity! No justice, no peace!



PS -- I know some of us are dicks. So are some bands.

endofanera wrote:

choppy wrote:NoMeansNo were lovely with us, although they were a bit harsh with the sound guy (justifiably so).

You can not simply let this lie there like that. "Justifiably so" how?

Soundguy solidarity! No justice, no peace!



PS -- I know some of us are dicks. So are some bands.

As I recall (note this has been many years back) Mitch, who did the sound at the venue in question, was a lazy stoner (this is fact). As such, sometimes he did not accede very easily to a band's wishes. I just remember they soundchecked for a really really long time trying to get him to mix the sound the way they wanted. I recall them saying something like "If you don't take that 1k outta there, I'm gonna come back there and tear your head off." I feel it was justified in their case mainly because when they played their set, they sounded wonderful, and it was much better than soundcheck.

choppy wrote:As I recall (note this has been many years back) Mitch, who did the sound at the venue in question, was a lazy stoner (this is fact). As such, sometimes he did not accede very easily to a band's wishes. I just remember they soundchecked for a really really long time trying to get him to mix the sound the way they wanted. I recall them saying something like "If you don't take that 1k outta there, I'm gonna come back there and tear your head off." I feel it was justified in their case mainly because when they played their set, they sounded wonderful, and it was much better than soundcheck.

This is superb.

I was just concerned they were pulling that power-trip-on-the-soundguy-during-the-show thing. Y'know, where you shrug and dont cooperate during soundcheck, and then take great pains to tell everyone how much the monitors suck in between songs. Listen rockstar, they dont care about your monitors, and you slept on your chance to get them sounding how you wanted, so deal. That and the inevitable burr up every soundguy's ass -- "How's it sound out there?" Jeebus. I have ears. It sounds good and if it doesnt, then Im working on it. You asking your dumbass fans isnt going to make it sound better. Ever.

Not that I'm thinking of anyone(s) in particular of course.

Nothing wrong with yelling at a soundguy who isnt doing his job during soundcheck. It wont sound good immediately, but we all have little time and one only has so much patience. It is not "being harsh" at all.